The Friends of the Poor Souls

An apostolate established on September 15, 2004, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, for the purpose of helping release the Holy Souls from Purgatory.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Newsletter

September, October 2006

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Many people write us asking for Masses to be said by priests that are available to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, an individual mass as well as the Gregorian Mass.. There are so many intentions and so many needs! Today it is almost impossible to find a Traditional priest who will offer the 30 Gregorian Masses for a deceased soul; it's very difficult because they may be a parish priest who has other masses to accommodate. However, we have priests who are there to help the most abandoned souls, and the poor souls in Purgatory are certainly more abandoned than ever in these days of failing faith and graces.

A while back we were trying to think how we could do something more for the poor souls, so we got in touch with several priests who have no mass intentions. We have priests here in the U.S., in Rome and in India who receive no mass intentions and are available to say masses, both for the living and deceased.. We have so many deceased friends and relatives! If you wish to have a mass said and your local parish cannot give you a mass when you request, please notify us and we will give your mass intentions to a priest who is waiting to hear from you.

These priests are Prayer Warriors just like you with Friends of the Poor Souls and will assist in every possible way to help the poor souls in Purgatory. They are asking for mass stipends and perhaps you can help. As members you are performing spiritual works of mercy by helping the dead by your prayers, penance and alms. But since there is no better way of helping the poor souls than by having as many Masses said for them as possible, you can make a difference. Our goal is to have one mass said for every day of the year to help release the Poor/Holy Souls from Purgatory.

Did you know that the most powerful and effective prayer that can ever be offered for your departed loved ones is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? And in the "Decree on Purgatory," we read, "The Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Spirit and in accordance with Sacred Scripture and the ancient Tradition of the Fathers, has taught in the holy Councils and most recently in this ecumenical Council that there is a purgatory, and that the souls detained there are helped by the acts of intercession ... of the faithful and especially by the acceptable Sacrifice of the altar" (Council of Trent,1563). At every Holy Mass, then, we enter into the timeless reality of the perfect and acceptable Sacrifice of Christ to the Father for our sake. And from that Sacrifice, immeasurable graces flow for all people and especially for those for whom we have offered the Mass. This is particularly the case for the departed who may be undergoing purification in Purgatory to prepare them for the joy of heaven. Many times, we receive letters and, at times, calls from our Prayer Warriors requesting that a Mass be celebrated for the intention of a recently departed loved one. Many people have even shared with us the immediate, shattering news of the tragic loss of a loved one -- typically through some sudden illness or an accident.

In such cases, we work with priests in our worldwide membership to schedule Masses for departed loved ones. In our correspondence, we remind people that we also will remember their departed loved ones in our communal and individual prayers as Prayer Warriors of Friends of the Poor Souls

November 2nd is a very special day, when we pray for all the souls in Purgatory. But we went a step further for these souls. We pray for them all the time. We are on a mission to have one mass each day of the year celebrated for the souls in Purgatory. Will you help us? If you and your prayer group feel called to help the Holy Souls in Purgatory by scheduling Masses for them with us, or if you'd like to learn more about Gregorian Masses, just email or write to us. Help us fulfill this special call, and together we can fill the calendar with Holy Masses for the souls in Purgatory!

We know that we will be remembering our own beloved dead, especially our dear parents, throughout the year. "Gracious Jesus, Lord and Master, grant unto them eternal rest."

Please consider contacting us with your mass intentions so we can forward them to the priests who are waiting. Mention the individual’s name who the mass will be said for and whether they are living or deceased. When we receive your request we will send it to one of the priests and he will in turn notify you by email or land mail that he has received your intention.

To have Mass offered for the Holy Souls is certainly the most efficacious way of relieving them. "Since it is certain by the doctrine of the Catholic Church, that the souls detained in Purgatory are benefited by the prayers of the faithful, and especially by the august Sacrifice of the Altar, We think we can give them no more useful and desirable pledge of Our love than by everywhere increasing the offering of the pure oblation of the Most Holy Sacrifice of Our Divine Mediator, for the extinction of their pain." (Pope Leo XIII, encyclical Quod Anniversarius, 1888).

Please also note that Friends of the Poor Souls has a mass said every Friday for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. The Golden Book contains names of the living and deceased so please continue to send us names to be enrolled. Non-Catholics may also benefit from the masses offered to those in the Golden Book. May we remind you that when you send us the names of loved ones you wish to have enrolled in the Golden Book that you please write legibly so we can record the names correctly. We work hours per week recording names we receive in the Golden Book, answering emails and correspondence answering questions about Purgatory.

As members of the Friends of the Poor Souls, you should seek to assist the souls in Purgatory by your prayers and good works, and especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. You should strive to promote this charitable devotion in others.

We also have other special Masses offered for the Prayer Warriors of Friends of the Poor Souls from time to time, and when a member dies, Mass is offered for the repose of his or her soul when we are notified.

Please do not be passive in your duties to help these souls in Purgatory. We encourage all Prayer Warriors to be active in assisting the souls in Purgatory by prayer, penance, fasting and almsgiving. In so doing you will move others to this charitable devotion towards the Poor Souls and to realize the value of the Holy Mass.

You may also wish to become an active coordinator. You can copy and distribute enrollment forms which we will gladly send to you or you can copy the enrollment form on our website http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com/ to distribute to your prayer groups. You may also encourage them to have masses offered for their loved ones in lieu of flowers.

Friends of the Poor Souls has been trying to lead its active members to become the friends and devoted servants of the poor souls. There is a whole apostolate in spiritual care of the dead.

Feel free to contact us whenever necessary either by email or land mail. We have taken up this work of the Church anew with a pure intention: to obtain a better deal for the poor souls in Purgatory. If God deigns to bless our work on their behalf, then we do not see why it should not continue to plead their cause and to grow and spread until the Day of Judgment.

If any Prayer Warrior would like a free Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows, please let us know and we will send one to you with instructions how to pray this powerful Chaplet as well as additional prayer cards to help the Souls in Purgatory.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

News from the Central Office

We continue to receive testimonies from Prayer Warriors and would like to share them with you. If you have had similar experiences please let us know about them.

One evening in 2004, after we had just begun praying the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows, I had forgotten to pray it on a particular day during the week. I was awakened by the odor of "camphor" and knew someone was suffering and waiting for my prayers. And reading your newsletter about Candles I remembered when another aunt was dying in N.J. I decided that I would light a candle for her - but again - forgot to light the candle. I remembered the next day and went to my Parish Church to do so. It was 3:00 pm. She passed away exactly then! You may use any testimony if you think they will encourage others to pray The Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows. I continue to tell others to pray this Powerful Chaplet. Love in JMJ +++ JM

TJ writes and says: Today I was on the computer and came to your website....My husband would be sitting in his chair in the den...quietly...and I would say what are you doing? And he would reply I'm saying the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. He is a convert and presently here at our home...having had brain tumor surgery which left him...brain damaged and blind.. I have been looking everywhere for the perfect card for Jim when God decides to take my wonderful husband of 56 years home to heaven.....Could you please e-mail me and tell me if I can order the card on your website...the one at the top...with the words Dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows underneath....where I can obtain these and what is the cost....This card is the loveliest I've seen.

And another email from TJ: Thank you for answering my e-mail...and also for praying for us....We do not have the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows and we would love to receive same.....The seminarian who set up your website…please tell him...your website is excellent … Jim’s conversion was extremely miraculous and before his surgery he was a daily communicant and went to jail three different times for pro-life...and was given the award for public witness one year by the Bishop at our big Pro Life banquet.... I printed out the section on your website about the Golden Book and those wonderful Prayer Warriors who will pray for us …thanks again and I feel so delighted that the Lord put you all in our lives.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Pictures

Two Prayer Warriors Meet

In August one of our Prayer Warriors, a second year seminarian from New Jersey, Ryan, came for a visit to Texas. While here we visited with Fr. Sojan George, HGN, a Prayer Warrior originally from India but ministering here in Texas. We visited his churches and spent the day talking and enjoying each other's company.